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Catherine Lafferty Magennis

Immigration Attorney at Charlotte, NC

5.0   18 reviews
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Excellent and caring
Islam
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired Attorney
Great Experience and Superb Service
Shishir
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired Attorney
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About Catherine

Learn Catherine’s areas of practice.

1
Practice area
  1. Immigration
    100%
    Family Immigration, Consular Programs / Waivers, Business Immigration, Naturalization/ Citizenship, Visitor Visas, and Humanitarian Visas - U VISA, VAWA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Special Immigrant Juvenile Visas.

    12 years

Attorney Catherine Lafferty Magennis is committed to providing advice and advocacy within the complex immigration system.  As a wife of an Irish immigrant and granddaughter of an Italian immigrant, she personally understands the stresses immigration laws can have on families and business.  She strongly believes in open communication and working with clients directly to ensure the best legal representation.  She has successfully represented a wide range of clients in asylum, waiver cases, adjustment of status, consular process, temporary protective status, deferred action, special immigrant juvenile visas, U visa and VAWAs, H-1B and other employment based cases, and removal defense cases. Fluent in Spanish, she is enthusiastically committed to representing her clients before USCIS, CBP and the Immigration Courts to ultimately achieve the American dream.

Licensed for 11 years
State NC
Status Active
Acquired 2011
Updated 12/27/2022
State CT
Status Retired
Acquired 2014
Updated 11/28/2022

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Contact Catherine

Garfinkel Immigration Law FIrm
6100 Fairview Road
Suite 200
Charlotte, NC, 28210
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Reviews

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5.0 / 5.0
  18 customer reviews
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Posted by Islam | September 7, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent and caring
I had the pleasure to work with Catherine on our immigration filling. She was clear setting the expectations, she was caring and had a lot of empathy. We talked couple of times throughout the process and she was very assuring and calm even when things got side ways. I would highly recommend
Posted by Shishir | July 14, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Experience and Superb Service
It was my pleasure to work with Catherine and her paralegal Lauren for preparing and getting my green card. Catherine also represented me and my wife during the GC interview. She is extremely knowledgeable, professional and easy to work with. During the entire process, Catherine kept us at ease by being available to answer any questions and always providing updates or any appointment reminder on a timely basis. There was a lot of information (scenarios, preparations, etc.) and open-endedness which could have added anxiety and doubts, however she helped narrow down what are essential and important. I couldn't have imagined the entire process being so smooth without her assistance and guidance. I would strongly recommend her to anyone seeking any immigration service.
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Posted by anonymous | July 8, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent immigration lawyer
We are very fortunate to have gotten the chance to work with Catherine on our greencard application. She was very knowledgeable and understanding throughout the process. She and her team prepared a solid application for us and made sure we were ready for the interview.
Posted by Elizabeth | May 17, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great experience
My husband and I had a great experience working with Catherine Magennis and the team at Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm. Applying for immigration visas can be a long and complicated process. The team at Garfinkel helped us through the process and were there every step of the way.
Posted by Charito | June 3, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Superb service!
Gaining permanent residence status or citizenship can be a complicated and stressful process with plenty of pitfalls and no room for errors. Right from the beginning I engaged Garfinkel, first for my permanent residency and then to gain US citizenship, and the process could not have been smoother and better. Attorney Magennis was the lawyer who handled my case. She took the dificulty out of the whole process, ensuring that documents and forms were correct, complete and always on time. A personal interview was part of the process and she and her staff are always available for any questions that might arise. She accompanied me all the way to the day I became a proud US citizen. Attorney Magennis really went above and beyond. I would recommend her wholeheartedly.
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Posted by anonymous | March 18, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Immigration Attorney!
Catherine is an excellent attorney who knows what she is talking about every step of the way. She was incredibly helpful in the removal of conditions for my green card and naturalization case. She is always friendly and professional and cares for the people she represents. She was always prompt to respond to questions and will be a good advocate for you and your case, even when difficult circumstances arise. She is clearly incredibly intelligent and experienced and I will always be grateful for her help! If I had to do this all over again, I would definitely trust her to represent me.
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Posted by Yanni | March 4, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Mage truly cares
I worked with her to go through my naturalization process. She actually supported me and my wife. She is very professional, easy to work with and excited to support her customers!
Posted by Roberto | November 22, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Citizenship success
Catherine and her paralegal Camila helped me to prepare my case for citizenship. They were prompt to answer my questions and guided me in the process. I am proud to have became an American Citizen
Posted by Wendy | September 1, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Thanks for making our dreams come true!
Catherine and her team were excellent! They took the reigns for us and helped us with every step. They gave us such a peace of mind knowing that they were so knowledgeable about our case and helped us at every turn! Such a wonderfully professional firm. We feel incredibly thankful!
Posted by Sam | May 29, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Citizenship Case
I have had the pleasure to work with Catherine Magennis on my fiancé’s citizenship case. During our meetings, we were truly impressed with her knowledge, professionalism and her positive outlook on our case. We have heard many stories on how difficult this case may be; however, Catherine and her colleague broke it down into steps for us. Catherine assured us that she would work closely with us which put us at ease. During the process, my fiancé and I had many questions. At any given time, we would simply email Catherine and she would reply back with concise answers. Furthermore, Catherine was able to explain the possible outcomes for us, and if we weren’t satisfied, she explained the other options that we would have. Within a few months, we were very happy with the outcome. All in all, we are very satisfied and impressed with her knowledge, experience and professionalism. We would certainly recommend her to anyone who is seeing legal immigration/ citizenship advice.
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Posted by Angela | June 8, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Attorney
I am very thankful to Catherine for her professionalism throughout her handling of my case. I am sure that no other attorney would have accomplished the results she obtained for me and my family in obtaining our Legal Permanent Resident status. We would recommend any of our family members and friends to this attorney. Catherine is incredibly approachable and knowledgeable; you can see the effort and dedication she puts into each case. We were told by other attorneys that this process would take much longer than it did, and we know the success in our case had everything to do with her quality of work! She also speaks Spanish, so it made our communication easy! May God continue to bless Catherine so that she can continue helping our community. We will never be able to fully thank her for changing our lives!
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Posted by anonymous | April 9, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Client
Mrs. Magennis has been excellent to help us with paperwork and getting legal residency. When the USCIS made a mistake on our final card, Mrs. Magennis was so helpful to get us the appointment and help we needed in a timely manner. She's very personable having gone through the process herself with her husband and so kind and knowledgeable. She has great experience and I highly recommend her to anyone needing legal immigration services.
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Posted by rosa rodriguez | April 8, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Green Card
Catherine, is knowledgeable, professional , listen, thorough, ready to assist and precise. She took her time to explain everything to us, She did everything to help us. Today I can say that I have my Green Card, She assure we were really prepared and follow with us at all time. Thank you so much for helping us!
Posted by anonymous | March 31, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
lawyer
she was a big help and prepared everything above and beyond
Posted by Kofi | January 25, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Lawyer helped me win my immigration case.
Catherine Magennis gave my case the time and energy it deserved. She has great "attention to detail" skills and walked me through all the different scenarios for my case. Her knowledge and skills are the main reason I got a positive result in my case. I would highly recommend her to anyone requiring her assistance.
Posted by Angela and Jorge | January 24, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Immigration
Catherine was my attorney in CT that worked very hard on my husbands status adjustment for immigration. Her knowledge and eagerness made this process quick and easy to be approved. The whole process from biometrics to appt was done within 11 months. My husband started off with a different attorney back in 2004 and as of 2014 there was no sign of approval. No movement was being made. But when I met catherine that all changed. She will be missed here in CT but very Happy that she is in North Carolina helping other family's with this same process.
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Posted by Jessica | January 18, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great attorney and dear friend!
Catherine helped me step by step through the complications of my immigration process here in the United States. She was always available to answer any of my questions and provide support through all of my headaches with such enthusiasm, commitment and understanding, but most importantly, she also became a dear friend. My husband and I are forever grateful for all the hard work Catherine put in and I'd without a doubt recommend her to anybody seeking legal advice in similar matters!
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Posted by Maritza & José Luis | January 17, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Lawyer that goes above and beyond!
"Lawyer Catherine Lafferty, went above and beyond with My Husband immigration case. It was a challenging one, she walked us through the difficult process, she make us feel comfortable all the time by answering our numerous questions promptly. My husband was away from home two years and a half, thanks to her hard work and dedication we were able to celebrate Christmas and now he has his green card."
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Resume

AVVO RATING 8.0 (Excellent)

Work Experience

  • Immigration and Trial Attorney
  • Dummit Fradin Attorney at Law
  • 2017 - 2019
  • Managing Partner
  • Magennis Law Firm
  • 2016 - 2017
  • Immigration Attorney
  • Milagros Immigration Law
  • 2013 - 2015
  • Immigration Attorney
  • International Institute of Connectictu
  • 2013 - 2013
  • Immigration Attorney
  • Forsythe Immigration Law Firm
  • 2011 - 2013
  • Law Clerk for Battered Immigrants Project
  • Legal Aid Of North Carolina, Inc.
  • 2010 - 2010
  • Legal Intern
  • North Carolina Justice Center
  • 2009 - 2009
  • Intern
  • Catholic Legal Immigration Network
  • 2007 - 2007
View all work experience

Education

  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • BA
  • N/A
  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • N/A

Associations

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Member
  • 2011 - Present
  • Mecklenburg County Bar Association
  • Member
  • 2011 - Present

Languages Spoken

  • Spanish

Honors and Awards

  • Certificate of Appreciation
  • International Institute of Connecticut
  • 2015
  • Certificate of Appreciation
  • International Institute of Connecticut
  • 2014
  • Pro Bono Service Award
  • University of North Carolina
  • 2011

Publications

  • La Noticia
  • "Como le pueden afectar las nuevas acciones ejecutivas de Trump"
  • 2017
  • La Noticia
  • " No viva con miedo actue con un plan"
  • 2017
  • La Noticia
  • Cómo mantener la residencia permanente legal?
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • "Conozca sus derechos como inmigrante bajo la adminitración del presidente Trump" Part I
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • "Conozca sus derechos como inmigrante bajo la adminitración del presidente Trump" Part 2
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • "Las solicitantes de asilo deben estar atentos al plazo que tienen de un año"
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • Como "nacio" la ley que protege el derecho de ser ciudadanos de Estados Unidos
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • Pueden mis hijos cuidadanos ayudarme a arreglar mi estatus legal
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • Como se obtiene la visa para las victimas de un crimen
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • Que el El Perdon Provisional y Quien Califica
  • 2016
  • La Noticia
  • El Matrimonio es Para El Amor
  • 2016
View all publications

Speaking Engagements

  • Immigration Information Session/ Sesion Informative de Inmigracion
  • Immigration and Know Your Rights
  • 2017
  • Cononce Sus Derechos y Tener Un Plan
  • Immigration
  • 2017
  • Community Engagement Event on Immigration Issues in Morganton NC
  • Immigration Issues and Law Enforcement
  • 2017
  • Rotary Club
  • Immigration Law Overview Mythbusters
  • 2016
  • Justice for All
  • A Community For Justice
  • 2016
  • Issues in Immigration Law in Our Community
  • Issues in Immigration Law in Our Community
  • 2016
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (17)
Given (16)
Endorse Catherine
Megan Elizabeth Spidell headshot
Megan Spidell
Immigration Attorney | Dec 20
Relationship: Co-worker
"I endorse this lawyer. Catherine Magennis is one of the most passionate attorneys I know when it comes to immigration and the issues that immigrants are facing. She has a vast knowledge of the law, professionalism in the courtroom and truly has a one-on-one relationship with her clients, who have grown to adore and trust her. When faced with an immigration issue, Ms. Magennis uses creative tactics and enthusiasm to ensure her clients are best represented."
Erica L Jackson headshot
Erica Jackson
Immigration Attorney | Dec 19
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Catherine is caring and compassionate. She always goes the extra mile to advocate for her clients and is extremely passionate about her work as an immigration attorney. I highly endorse her."
Charles Eldridge Mellies headshot
Charles Mellies
Immigration Attorney | Dec 17
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Mrs. Magennis is a passionate attorney who fights for her clients. She knows the law and will stop at nothing to help. I recommend hiring Mrs. Magennis."
Marvin Gilbert Hobson headshot
Marvin Hobson
Immigration Attorney | Dec 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Not only is Catherine very passionate about her work, but she is incredibly knowledgeable when dealing with all issues related to immigration law. I strongly endorse this lawyer."
Michael Shane Litrenta headshot
Michael Litrenta
Immigration Attorney | Dec 14
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Ms. Magennis has an ineffable passion for practicing immigration law, which is only eclipsed by her dedication to her clients. Ms. Magennis is not simply a lawyer, she is a counselor. She provides assistance on almost every aspect in the immigration process and never allows her clients to feel anything but secure in her representation of them."
Michael Scott Fradin headshot
Michael Fradin
Immigration Attorney | Dec 07
Relationship: Co-worker
"Ms. Magennis is a very knowledgeable and passionate immigration attorney. If you ever have an immigration need, I highly recommend Catherine."
Jessica Ketchem Culver headshot
Jessica Culver
Unknown Attorney | Dec 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse Attorney Magennis because she is dedicated to helping her clients achieve their legal goals. She is professional, experienced, and trustworthy."
Ernest Clarke Dummit headshot
Ernest Dummit
Immigration Attorney | Dec 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Ms. Magennis works tirelessly for her clients. She is a great fighter, and knows the ins and outs of immigration court. She is a great choice to represent you in an immigration matter!"
Devon Rose Senges headshot
Devon Senges
Immigration Attorney | Jun 09
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"Catherine is a brilliant immigration attorney who brings an incredible amount of passion and heart to every case. Your family is safe with her!"
David Michael McCleary headshot
David McCleary
Immigration Attorney | Jan 25
Relationship: Co-worker
"Catherine's passion for her clients is truly unrivaled. She treats her clients and their families cases as if they were her or her families case. She is a phenomenal advocate."
Meghan W. Deutsch-Blanco headshot
Meghan Deutsch-Blanco
Immigration Attorney | Jun 28
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I highly recommend Catherine "Cat" Magennis for immigration law matters. In addition to her breadth of experience, Cat is extremely passionate about immigration law and goes the extra mile to serve her clients. She leaves no stone unturned when investigating remedies for her clients. Further, her commitment to the profession and the needs of her community makes her stand out as an up and coming leader in the immigration law bar."
Leila A. Hicks headshot
Leila Hicks
Immigration Attorney | Jun 27
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"Catherine's knowledge and passion are unprecedented. I thoroughly recommend her and her firm."
Robert Locke Beatty headshot
Robert Beatty
Immigration Attorney | Jun 21
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Stephanie Ashley Delgado headshot
Stephanie Delgado
Immigration Attorney | Mar 23
Relationship: Friend
"Catherine is one of the hardest working and most passionate people I know. She understands what her clients are going through and is determined to help them achieve their goals. She has had significant experience in this area with prior law firms and just recently opened up her own firm. You can be confident that she will work not only for you but with you throughout your time with her. I've known Catherine for eight years and helping people with their immigration issues has been the focus of her entire career. Her fluency in Spanish helps her reach an entire demographic that might otherwise not have representation. Please hire her with confidence--knowing that she genuinely cares about you, your family, and helping you in your time of need."
Martin Musinguzi headshot
Martin Musinguzi
Immigration Attorney | Feb 29
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Daniel Melo headshot
Daniel Melo
Immigration Attorney | Feb 16
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Catherine is an experienced, detail-oriented attorney whose thoughtful approaches to her clients' needs are matched by her advocacy for them. I recommend her without hesitation!"
Jeffrey Chase headshot
Jeffrey Chase
Immigration Attorney | Jan 20
Relationship: Co-worker
"Atty. Magennis is dedicated to providing an exceptional level of service and representation to her clients. She has consistently earned the respect of her peers and opposing counsel as a brilliant, dedicated lawyer. There's nobody out there who will work harder or cares more about your case."
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Charlotte Immigration Lawyer Catherine Lafferty Magennis
Catherine Lafferty Magennis
Immigration Attorney
Charlotte, NC
Licensed for 11 years
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